Author: Tung Nguyen

New campus bookstore struggling to satisfy community needs

By Alameina White, Transcript Reporter

The Ohio Wesleyan bookstore has faced a few challenges since becoming independently owned back in Sept. of 2017 but is working to improve things for next semester.

Earlier in the semester, instructors/professors started having issues with the bookstore not processing their orders and students weren’t able to get their books. This caused frustration as some instructors/professors had to delay their syllabuses.

According to Melanie Kalb, Director of Purchasing, when some instructors/professors had submitted their book adoptions (orders), the bookstore was still being sourced by Follett. Some professors/instructors had then submitted their adoptions to Follett causing some of them to be misplaced.

The transition to an independently owned bookstore hasn’t been smooth but Lisa Tackett, an employee of the bookstore, has been working hard to improve the process.

“We’re working to expand our supplier base, Lisa’s adding new suppliers and new wholesalers every day as we grow,” said Kalb.

Since becoming independently owned Tackett, who oversees the book adoptions, has set up accounts with numerous publishers from scratch.

“Some are quick, some are one phone call and you order at the same time and there are some that’ve taken four weeks just to set up an account to place an order,” said Tackett.

In the process of trying to find new publishers to source the books, Tackett has also had to work with international publishers that can take up to six months to process an order. Instructors/Professors had also adopted books that were out-of-print or print-on-demand. Orders for books that are print-on-demand can sometimes be held until a certain number of copies are requested and take anywhere from a month to six months, according to Tackett.

The process of submitting book adoptions was also new for professors.

“They normally turned them in to me in the past and now they go in and enter it themselves,” said Tackett.

Given the issues and changes at hand, the bookstore employees found different ways to get students their books.

“We’ve gone as far as to order books on Amazon and resell them in the bookstore,” said Tackett. “We want to make sure students can get the books they need.”

Tackett and Kalb encourage students to visit the bookstore’s website, https://owucampusstore.secureweblogin.com, where they can order their books from the bookstore or from six other vendors. This also allows students to compare the bookstore’s prices to those of other vendors.

“One of our main goals is textbook affordability and trying to get the best price for the students in comparison with all the other websites out there,” said Kalb.

Kalb believes that next semester will go a lot smoother and many of these issues will be worked out by then.

“That’s not going to happen next semester, we’ll have owned the bookstore for a longer period of time so those textbooks that may be older or print-on-demand can be available here for students,” said Kalb.

 

 

 

OWU’s Got Talent celebrates young and diverse performers

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

Students across Ohio Wesleyan campus celebrated diversity and talent in the annual OWU’s Got Talent show.

The show was on February 2 at the Mulligan Hub. OWU’s Black Student Union created and hosted the event.

The performance was an hour long, with seven acts in total.

The acts included local band The Oaks and Acapella group The JAYwalkers. Solo performances by Brandon Solomon, Jaliyah Atkinson, Courtney Owens and Will Fairbanks.

Each act had a different tone, with some students performing acapella, some performing their own music and a majority performing well known songs.

The event allows OWU students to showcase their talents and gain exposure on or off campus. The performers also want to support the event itself.

“These people potentially would not have any outlet outside of this kind of event, so I hope that this event grows,” performer Alex McPherson said.

The Black Student Union sponsored the event, being just one of the many events planned for February. The union received praise and respect for hosting the event.

“This is an event that most would expect CPB to put on, and the fact that they don’t do it is incredibly surprising,” McPherson said. “BSU taking the reins on this event and making it so successful is just another of many examples of how BSU represents Black Excellence.”

The union is celebrating Black History month with different events, including cookouts and films that explore the role of African Americans throughout history. The talent show brought forth this history in some acts.

Four of the performers performed songs by African Americans or spoke about the life of African Americans. Owens spoken word performance received praise from the audience, and was declared the winner of the contest.

“Courtney’s was my favorite act and this is because it was not only different but it was real,” sophomore Jaliyah Atkinson said. “And it hit the heart.”

With over thirty people in attendance, the audience was small but supportive, cheering on each act and providing positive feedback after the show to each performer. The proceeds from the show will fund the events this month.

“We need to show that we can be leaders and we have talent while also acknowledging that other races have talent and can join and have fun with us as one to celebrate all of our different talents,” Atkinson said.

OWU’s Got Talent allowed students of all races to enjoy performing and celebrating together.

 

Faculty members showcase their love of performing at OWU recital

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

Ohio Wesleyan praises itself on having the best faculty possible, and celebrating the accolades that each of them accomplish. The Faculty Recital-Tour d’Anches Woodwind Trio on January 30 celebrated some of the music departments staff.

Professors Nancy Gamso, Karen Pfeifer and Emily Patronik all performed at the show, which lasted an hour.

The professors are in a trio, and have been performing for seven years. They have performed together in the past for the school.

Each professor plays a different instrument and memorize pieces involving all the instruments to play together. Each instrument presents its own challenges.

“We are a reed trio which means we each have a reed on our instrument.  I, as an oboist, make my own reeds and so does the bassoonist,” Professor Karen Pfeifer said. “Dr. Gamso performs on both the flute and clarinet which means she has to switch instruments halfway through… The music is very difficult and tricky, and we try to bring all three of our parts into one ensemble idea.”

The pieces chosen for the performance come from the Ohio Solo and Ensemble Contest list, with practices starting in early January.

The pieces chosen for the recital vary, with the professors hoping to add variety to each show.

“Some of these pieces are not in the standard repertoire, so we will be introducing people to some wonderful gems,” Professor Emily Patronik said.

The professors hope to perform at high schools, to teach young students how the piece sounds in real time and teach the piece.

The recital was something fun for the trio to do and allowed them to present their lives outside the classroom.

“We love performing together,” Pfeifer said. “Making music is so much fun.”

The recital was open to OWU students and the Delaware community. The event was free to students and had refreshments afterwards. The professors felt that the show went well.

“The performance was a lot of fun,” Pfeifer said. “It went well.”

The audience was receptive of the show as well, despite the small audience. Hopes for more students in attendance were shared by the professors and fellow audience goers.

The show gave the musicians and audience a chance to experience a different musical style and attitude. The pieces were more casual and upbeat compared to traditional woodwind trio pieces.

The performers felt success after their show, and were glad to share that with the OWU audience.

 

 

New entrepreneurial center to give students taste of “real world”

By Maddie Matos, A&E Editor

The city of Delaware and Ohio Wesleyan University have collaborated on a new project, that benefits both the campus and community.

Inside the center will host both businesses and educational resources. It is designed for students to gain access to the corporate world and prepare them for jobs.

“The entrepreneurial center will enhance and transcend a traditional liberal arts education and be a model for creating an interdisciplinary culture that brings together students, work centers, and community to improve local economic, cultural and social enterprises,” Woltemade Center Administrative Director, Megan Ellis said.

The center was announced to students in an email sent on January 22 from President Rock Jones. The email outlined the idea for having the center and what it will do for campus.

The center was approved by the Delaware City Council on January 22. The council will invest $250,000 in the next five years. OWU is also talking with Delaware County staff members as well to see if they are interested in the project.

The idea for the center came from a group of faculty, who wanted to further enhance the connection between campus and OWU. People involved in the project include Ellis, Sean Hughs, Economic Development for the City, Bob Lamb, Economic Development for the County and Assistant Professor of Economics Dan Charna.

The committee was inspired by other campuses connecting with their cities but have made the center their own.

“There are other innovation labs and entrepreneurial spaces on other campus and we did a lot of homework to learn best practices and examples we could learn from,” Ellis said. “This is unique in that we’re the first partnership including a small liberal arts institution and the surrounding city and county.”

The center will be at 70 S. Sandusky Street, where the current Stewart Annex is. The location allows easy access for both students and business to collaborate, a goal for this center.

“The center will add important educational opportunity for students at OWU, and it will add important economic benefit for Delaware as new companies are formed and ultimate as new jobs are brought to our community,” Jones said.

What businesses will be housed in the center are undetermined but will provide opportunity for OWU students to connect with the community of Delaware.

 

Flu-like symptoms spreading throughout campus

By Reilly Wright, Managing Editor

Influenza and influenza-like illnesses are storming campus this semester with several cases now confirmed, the Ohio Wesleyan University Student Health Center reported.

Marsha Tilden, director of student health services, says the OWU Student Health Center staff has seen 30 students with influenza or an influenza-like illness as of Monday morning.

“The majority of students that we are seeing for illness have influenza,” Tilden said. “We have seen a few students with a stomach flu and upper respiratory infections.”

Symptoms for flu-like illnesses include body aches, fever, coughing and sore throat. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports symptoms for the common cold are more gradual and moderate compared to the flu’s abrupt onset that can last up to two weeks.

“[I feel] like a gross, sniffly, drippy-nosed child,” said Larisa Keating, a junior whose flu-like symptoms began Sunday.

According to the CDC, current nationwide hospitalization rates for the flu are some of the highest in years with numbers still rising.

“The worst semester that I can recall was during the [2009] H1N1 outbreak,” Tilden said. “This semester ranks high with the number of students we have seen.”

Known as a complex and difficult illness to predict, multiple influenza viruses are currently widespread including influenza B and influenza A H1N1 and H3N2. This season, influenza A H3N2 is fiercely dominating.

The Delaware General Health District notes 96 percent of flu-related patients in Delaware county have influenza A while influenza B and unknown types compose the following 4 percent. This H3N2 strain typically leads to higher flu activity because it more severely affects the elderly and the young while naturally mutating, causing flu vaccines to be less effective.

Although researchers in Canada had reported this season’s flu vaccine to be around 10 to 20 percent effective against the widespread H3N2 strain, there is no confirmed vaccine effectiveness report for the U.S.. Despite this, CDC officials continue to recommend the vaccine for anyone over 6 months old to combat other flu viruses and reduce symptom severity.

The Ohio Department of Health reports over 8,600 influenza-related hospitalizations statewide since Oct. 1, 2017 with 97 of those coming from parts of Delaware County according to the Delaware General Health District.

Tilden says the OWU Student Health Center has received no word of student hospitalizations or deaths this flu season.

On average, flu seasons last between 11 to 20 weeks, beginning as early as October and peaking between December and March. This leaves several predicted weeks ahead with increased flu activity.

“No classroom seems to ever have kleenex so if you’re going to class, stock up,” Keating said. “Avoid other sick people because you probably have the immune system of a child at this moment and become a couch potato for the next few days.”

Students with flu symptoms are recommended to contact the Student Health Center at (740) 368-3160 or visit their office in Stuyvesant Hall between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. By appointment, flu vaccinations are still offered for both students and employees. The Delaware General Health District at 3 W. Winter St., also offers vaccinations and health tips.

To avoid getting the virus, the Student Health Center recommends getting the flu shot, thoroughly washing your hands, covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and sanitize commonly used surfaces. If you feel ill, they recommend simply staying home until you are fever free for 24 hours without using medication.

The CDC recommends taking antiviral drugs as soon as possible for those becoming severely ill or highly vulnerable to its symptoms.